1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bowling alley pin deck constructions and, more particularly, providing a pin deck with a hard external surface which resists pin impacts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bowling alleys are conventionally constructed of laminated tongue-and-groove bedstock including approach, impact lane and pin deck sections, usually using different types of wood. Since a bowling ball is seldom lofted in on the lane section, there is little danger of injury to the surface of the lane. The lane section is therefore usually constructed of a relatively inexpensive wood, such as pine.
In the pin deck section, however, the bowling ball strikes the pins with a great deal of force, throwing the pins in a random manner. Many of the pins strike the pin deck with relatively sharp edges and nicks and dents occur. To reduce denting, the pin deck is usually constructed of a hardwood, such as maple. Such a laminated tongue-and-groove hardwood bedstock pin deck is relatively expensive. However, even such hardwoods become dented and the deck surface has to be periodically resurfaced. Since the levels of the various sections must remain the same, usually the entire bowling alley must be resurfaced at great cost.
A more recent pin deck construction includes a high pressure laminate material having an external surface with the appearance of finished wood which is adhesively bound to a wooden base, the high pressure laminate being more resistant to pin impacts than the hardwood. In this type of construction, the covering laminate may be replaced when it becomes worn without incurring the inordinate expense attendant the entire lane. While this construction does provide a hard impact resistant pin deck surface, the pin impacts do tend to loosen the adhesive bond between the high pressure laminate and the wooden base, resulting in eventual separation between the two which is unacceptable. The separation of the laminate material from the wooden base is believed to be caused by the difference in hardness between the laminate and relatively soft wood.
A more serious situation arises when the high pressure laminate is installed over an original wooden base which has been dressed with an oil substance. In this case, the pin impacts cause the bed stock slats to loosen from one another and from the understructure and, further, cause oil in the original wooden base to reach the adhesive layer by capillary action, which causes deterioration of the adhesive and separation of the laminate from the wooden base.
While the high pressure laminate material with an external surface having the appearance of original wood greatly increases the life of the pin deck, there has been a need for a construction technique and method of installation of the laminate material onto a wooden base which would greatly reduce the loosening or deterioration of the adhesive layer between the laminate material and the wooden base. The present invention satisfies that need.